What is a Periodontist?

Expert at Treating Gum Tissue

Your periodontal tissue is your soft gum tissue that surrounds and provides support to your teeth. Nearly half of adults have some level of gum disease. When a patient has trouble gaining control of the infection, a periodontist can help. At University Periodontal Associates, our team, including Dr. Dennison, specializes in strengthening and rebuilding your periodontal tissue to improve your oral health. We offer treatments to restore and reconstruct your diseased or lost tissue to help you have a healthier mouth.

What is a Periodontist image
Our office specializes in gum tissue, and the important role it plays in your overall dental health. We offer a wide variety of periodontal treatments including:

Non-Surgical Gum Treatment: This may include continued scaling and root planing for patients requiring regular care due to chronic periodontitis. Scaling is the removal of tartar and bacteria from below the gumline. Root planing is the smoothing of the roots to induce a healing response from your tissue.
Laser Treatment for Gum Disease: Using a laser fiber, we insert it between the gum tissue and tooth, without making cuts to the gums. The laser light energy is able to target the inflamed site without damaging or removing any surrounding healthy gum tissue.
Gum Graft Surgery: Patients who are suffering from chronic periodontal disease, which is a severe form of gum disease, can often experience the loss of gum tissue. We can rebuild and renew this tissue through gum graft surgery. This can help cover the teeth and provide them the support they need to stay put.
Pocket Reduction: A gum pocket is the term we use to describe the separation of the gum tissue from your tooth due to disease. A gum pocket greater than 3mm is an indication of gum disease and tells us that intervention is needed. We track and measure the depth of any gum pockets with each tooth. To reduce the gum pockets, we may need to open the tissue to cleanse the area and remove diseased tissue. We then close the tissue for healing.
Dental Crown Lengthening: Sometimes patients have a condition that is referred to as a gummy smile. This means that they have excessive gum tissue around their teeth, which can appear bulky or hang over the teeth. This can be unsightly, but more importantly it is space that bacteria can become stuck or hide. We can remove this bulky tissue and reshape it for a smoother look.
Dental Implant Placement: Dental implants can be used to restore missing teeth following the loss of teeth due to periodontitis or disease. A dental implant is a post that we surgically place in the bone to serve as a new tooth root. It can be made of titanium or a non-metallic ceramic. Once secure, we can use the post to attach a prosthetic to, including a dental crown, bridge or denture. Depending on the work being done, multiple implants may be required.